Accused Squatter Testifies He Was Just Following the Law of Adverse Possession
A Texas man accused of squatting in a $405,000 Arlington home testified Tuesday that he was following the law of adverse possession.
David Cooper testified that he learned about the concept at the law library at Southern Methodist University, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. Cooper told jurors he put his newfound knowledge into action last October by filing an affidavit of adverse possession with the county for a $16 filing fee.
Coooper said neighbors were relieved he was in the abandoned house, where he trimmed the trees and cleaned up trash. according to the Star-Telegram report. When police knocked on the door, he showed them his affidavit and they left without arresting him.
The home’s owner, Raymond Dell, said his family was away from the home for several months while his wife received cancer treatment in Houston, the story reports. He discovered his furniture was missing and his family’s clothes were stuffed in garbage bags after police notified him a stranger was living there, he testified.
Cooper is charged with felony theft and burglary for taking over the home, and his wife, Jasmine Williams Cooper, is charged with burglary. David Cooper said his wife was not on the property when he was there. He also said he didn’t steal furniture or any other items from the property.
Dozens of people in North Texas have tried to use adverse possession law to file claims to foreclosed or abandoned homes, the Associated Press reported in a preview of the case. The District Attorney in Tarrant County ordered the clerk’s office to stop accepting adverse possession affidavits a year ago.
